Vending-machine.



N. N. NEHER.

VBNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1912.

1 ,072,1 50. Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

into the coin box.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT onnrcn.

NOAH N. NEHER, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VENDINGsMACHINE.

Patented sept. 2, 1913,

Application led June 24, 1912.` Serial No. 705,621.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, NOAH N. Nunen, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles,fin the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements inVending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a vending machine for gum or like articles andthe prime object thereof is to produce a simply constructed and operatedmachine capable of delivering to the buyer a package of gum or the likein an efficient manner.

Basically, my invention isl comprised in a coin chute which leads to oneof four coin pocket members which are rigidly mounted on a centralhollow shaft. A turning crank is mounted on a square shaft, this shaftbeing revolubly mounted in the frame and inside the hollow shaft. Asemi-circular shaped member is rigidly attached to the square shaft,and, when the crank is turned, this member comes into contact with thecoin. A quarter turn of the crank then au tomatically deliversthepackage of gum or like contents to the buyer and. drops the coinThere are four coin pocket and four delivery mechanisms mounted on thehollow shaft and are held in position by means of a spring, thus, theturning of the shaft, upon which they are mounted, a quarter of arevolution places the following pocket and delivery mechanism inposition for the next operation simultaneous with the delivery of thepackage.

In minor detail my invention also includes many important features,among which is the coin pocket mechanism which is adapted to hold t-hecoin during the quarter revolution .of the crank and automaticallydropthe coin at the same time .that the package in the delivery mechanism isdelivered t0 the buyer. I have also provided means for ejecting themoney out of the pocket if, for

Figure l is a perspective View of my improved vending machine. Fig. 2 isan enlarged front view with the cover removed. Fig. 3 is a section takenon line 2%-,3 of Fig. 2. Fig. is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 -is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fi 6 is a detailshowing the coin pocket, wit coin therein, in use. Fig. 7 is a sectiontaken on line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings 10 designates a frame of desired construction which hasa portion 11 of some transparent material in thefront side. A coin slot12 and locking member 13 is also mounted on the front side of the case,this construction being t pical.

A revoluble square s aft 15 is suitably mounted in the frame, a coinengaging member 16 being rigidly mounted on this shaft, and beingrevolubly mounted on the hollow shaft 21. This coin engaging member 16is one of the important features of my invention, as it is adapted toengage with the coin in the coin pocket, and, on the turning of theshaft 15, automatically operate the delivery mechanism; also, should thecoin be caught in the pocket, a portion of the member 16 is cut away soas to allow a square shoulder to drop against the coin and force t intothe coin box on the return of the member 16 to its normal position. Theshaft 15 is adapted to be turned 'a pre-determined distance, through themedium of crank and handle 17 'l which is mounted on the outside end ofthe shaft, and is prevented from turning farther in one direction byportion 16 coming into contact with part of the coin chute 25, and isheld in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 4:, by portion 16b cominginto contact with the lower end of stationary coin chute 25. A guard 31,on the outside of the case, also prevents any further movement of theshaft and crank. Spring 17 tends to hold the shaft 15 in its normalposition through the medium of member 18 which is rigidly attached tothe shaftd. The coin chute has a slot 25.l which allows space for theinsertion and action of member 16. y y

The delivery mechanism 20 is mounted on the outer hollow shaft 21, as isalso the coin pocket mechanisms, and is comprised in a delivery wheel asshown in the drawings. full one quarter revolution of this mecha nism 20delivers tothe buyer a package of the contents of the machine; it isheld in its normal position, as in Fig. 3, by means of leaf spring 18aand member 19, best shown in Fig. 5, which is mounted on the revolvingshaft. rlhis spring not only holds the delivery and coin pocketmechanisms in their fnumber, are rigidly mounted on the hollow shaft 21and are of such size as to receive Y and` hold a pre-determined sizedcoin, and

are also adapted to drop the said coin, by

the fo-rce of gravity, after they pocket containing said coin has beenmoved through one yquarter of a revolution. This movement isaccomplished through the medium of the crank and handle 17'a and member1b.4

I have alsoV provided a cut away portion, shown at 30 on member 16, forthe purpose of ejecting a coin should it happen to be caught inthepocket 22. As best shown in the drawings in Fig. 4, the portion ofthe member 30 will squarely force the coin out of the pocket on itsreturn' to its normal position. The coin box 23 may be of anyconstruction. 'lhe upper part of the coin chute 25 isv divided into tw,oportions, by means of two cross pieces 26, which prevent any piece ofcoin from being caught in the chute and also turn the same.

The operation of my device is as follows:- A coin is droppedinto theslot 12 and falls through chute`25 into oneof the coin pockets 22. Amovement of the crank 17a simultaneously moves the member 16 whose endengages with the coin in the pocket 22. A further turn of thisshaftengages the coin with the pocket and forces the movement of thesame, together with the delivery mechanism. As stated before a quarterturn `of these two mechanisms operates the machine, and by force ofgravity assisted by leaf spring 18a the package of gum or other contentsdrops into the lower part of the case in reach of the buyer and the coinfalls into the coin box 23. The crank and member 1( then return to theirnormal position by virtue of spring 17, and the next coin pocket is thendirectly below the coin chute and a package of gum or like contents hasfallen into the next portion of the delivery wheel. The display andcontainer mechanism 30 may be refilled at any time and the com removedefrom the box by merely removing the cover of the case.

It will be seen from the foregoing specificationthat I have provided asimply constructed and positively operating vending machine of a simplenature.

AThe device can only beoperated when-a proper pre-determined sized coinis 4placed in the coin slot, aiid is' adapted'to stay there and dropinto the coin box at the same time the package is delivered tothe buyer.

Although I have shown my invention in the distribution of gum l may addthat by `changing the size of the delivering mechabearings and havingmanually operable means for rotation, a hollow shaft rotatable u/p'onthe central shaft, a coin pocket member mounted on the hollow shaft and-rotatable therewith, said memberl having a plurality of /coin pocketsadapted to receive and hold a coin when above the. shaft and todischarge it when below the shaft, and. a coin -engaging memberconnected *with the central shaft, comprising two bearing portions onetightly mounted on the central shaft and the other loosely surroundingthe hollow shaft, a connecting web between the two bearing portions,4and a coin engaging finger projecting from the bearing portion on thehollow shaft.

2. A coin controlled apparatus, comprising a central shaft mounted in'suitable bearings and having manually operable means for rotation, ahollowshaft rotatable upon the central shaft, a coin pocket membermounted on the hollow shaft and rotatable therewith said member having aplurality of coin pockets adapted to receive 95 and hold a coin whenabove the shaft and to discharge itwhen below the shaft, said membercomprising two plates oppositely disposed on the hollow shaft and eachhaving lips turned toward the other plate toform sai-d coinpockets, acoin chute leading member in front of the hclldw shaft, there y being anaperture in said rear wall, means to normally and yieldingly hold thecoin pocket member with one pocket directly below lthe chute, and a coinengaging member connected with the central shaft comprising two bearingportions one; tightly mounted on the central shaft and the other looselysurrounding the hollow shaft, a connecting web between the two bearingportions, and a coin engaging finger projecting from the bearing portionon the hollow shaft, and adapted to'project through the aperture in therear wall of the coin chute and engage a coin held in one of the coinpockets.

3. A coin controlled apparatus, comprising a central square shaftmounted in suitable bearings 'and having manually operable means forrotation, spring means to hold said shaft in a normal posiition, meansto prevent rearward rotation from the normal position of the shait, ahollow shaft rotatable upon the square shaft, spring means for normallyrholding the hollow sha't't in any one of a plurality of positions, acoin pocket member rigidly attached to the hollow shaft and comprisingtwo oppo-` sitely disposed plates atiixed to said shaft and having pairsof lips oppositely disposed and turned toward each other to form coinpockets7 a ooin chute extending downwardly over the coin pocket memberwith its forward wall terminating above said member and its rear Wallextending down between Said plate and having an aperture therein, and acoin engaging member comprising a U-shaped portion having one legrotatively attached to the square shaft belng the other leg looselysurrounding the hollow shaft between the two Coin pocket platea` and acurved coin engaging linger projecting from the U-shaped portion andadapted to project through the aperture in the ohute rear wall.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I llave hereunto subscribed myname this 4th day of June, 1912.

NOAH N. NEHER.

Witnesses:

A. R. GoonAmc. lQLwoon H. BARKELEW.

I youd the end of the hollow shaft and hav-

